Mary Lou's Flip Flop Shop, a children's television series featuring Olympic champion gymnast Mary Lou Retton, was created to motivate young children to believe in themselves and get moving. The show takes place in a wacky Flip Flop shop and features 4 "real" children per episode and five characters: Jumpy, Mr. Bump, Miss Warble, Professor Blinky, and L.Z. Bones. Jumpy, a green and blue monkey, serves as Mary Lou's silent and energetic sidekick. Mr. Bump, a clumsy yet charming delivery-man, rides around on a noisy bike with a box full of interesting packages. Miss Warble, the singing custodian, constantly keeps watch over the cleanliness of the Flip Flop Shop. Professor Blinky, an owl puppet, never fails to share wise proverbs and stories with the members of the Flip Flop Shop. L.Z. Bones always tries to get out of physical activity and must be persuaded by the others to get up and join in the fun. The show was produced by KUHT Houston and was shown on PBS affiliates. In 2008 the program was added to FamilyNet's Saturday morning children's program block.
